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MCC has an inclusive membership of over 43,000 members and adherents
in 22 countries as of September 2003.
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Starting with one group of 12 in Los Angeles in 1968, MCC now has
almost 300 churches throughout the world.
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MCC was founded in October 1968, one year prior to 1969's Stonewall
Riots.
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MCC has been at the vanguard of civil and human rights movements
and addresses the important issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism,
and other forms of oppression.
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MCC congregations have an aggregate annual operating budget in excess
of $20 million (US). MCC Headquarters and Regional Elders have an
annual operating budget of $3.2 million (US).
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More than fifty percent (50.5%) of MCC clergy are women, a higher
percentage than any other Christian denomination.
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MCC churches and groups are located in Argentina, Australia, Brazil,
Canada, Cuba, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands,
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, Romania,
Russia, Scotland, South Africa, the United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
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MCC has churches in 48 states of the United States. There are members
in every state.
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The largest MCC church is Resurrection MCC (Houston, TX), with a
membership exceeding 600.
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MCC holds observer status in the World Council of Churches, participates
in the programs of the National Council of Churches -- and has full
membership in four U.S. state councils: California, Colorado, Hawaii,
and North
Carolina.
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The MCC Headquarters are located in the $3.8 million MCC World Center
in West Hollywood, California.
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AIDS has dramatically affected MCC churches. Since 1982, an estimated
6,000 MCC members have died of AIDS and related diseases, yet the
epidemic has also brought many new members who are facing questions
of life and
death.
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MCC clergy are trained by 20 seminaries of mainline Christian denominations
that accept MCC students.
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An increasing number of the children of lesbian or gay parents are
active in MCC, and many congregations offer specialized ministries
to meet the spiritual needs of these children.
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MCC clergy bless same-sex couples with Marriage and Holy Union ceremonies.
MCC clergy perform more than 6,000 same-sex weddings annually.
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Elected leadership of the denomination consists of a 10-member Board
of Elders composed of the denominational Moderator, Vice-Moderator,
and eight Regional Elders. Reverend Troy D. Perry is the Moderator
and of
the denomination. A Board of Administration oversees administration,
finances, and policies for the denomination.
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MCC follows a congregational form of church government with self-governing
local congregations. Local churches are represented in an international
General Conference that meets once every two years.
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MCC Moderator, Reverend Troy D. Perry, is an internationally recognized
human rights activist and has received honors from many human rights
organizations, including honorary doctorates from Episcopal Divinity
School, Samaritan College and Sierra University along with awards
from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign,
the Lazarus
Project, and the Gay and Lesbian Press Association.
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Reverend Perry attended the first ever White House meeting of gay
and lesbian leaders during the Carter presidency, was the first openly
gay member of the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission and was
appointed as a delegate to the White House Conference On Hate Crimes
by President
Bill Clinton.
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MCC is the largest international vehicle for public education about
homosexuality and Christianity.
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Twenty-one MCC congregations have been victimized by the antigay
hates crimes of arson or fire-bombing.
